Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged

A feel-good pill for the Camaro blues.

The fact that the Chevrolet Camaro is gone but not forgotten doesn't change the fact that it's still gone. When Chevy pulled the plug on that affordable muscle car after 2002, it left only the Corvette to satisfy the bow-tie brand's horsepower junkies. The price leap from the Camaro to the Corvette was cavernous. Back in '02, a Camaro Z28 cost about $23,000, and at almost $42,000, a Corvette listed for nearly double. Thus, horsepower crazies who were cost conscious were forced to get their fix elsewhere. After all, it wasn't as if dealers could push the rental-fleet Cavalier as a starting block from which to move into a Corvette (although some of them probably tried).

So after a few years of not offering an affordable sports car, Chevy is back with a stepping stone to the Vette: the $21,995 Cobalt SS Supercharged. A far cry from the rear-drive, V-8-powered, 3400-pound Camaro--indeed, the 2911-pound SS Supercharged scorches its front tires with only a four-cylinder engine--it nonetheless performs within earshot of the old Z28. Our test vehicle, which resembled a sunburned lobster, ripped from 0 to 60 in just 5.9 seconds and through the quarter-mile in only 14.4 at 100 mph. The last Z28 coupe we tested in February 1999 was quicker but not out of range--0 to 60 in 5.2 and the quarter in 13.8 at 104. Moreover, the Cobalt outgunned the Camaro on the skidpad--0.88 g versus 0.84--and in 70-to-0 braking, posting a distance of 160 feet, 22 better than the Camaro and just four short of a Corvette Z51 ("Almost Supercars," C/D, December 2004).

Thankfully for Chevy, the Cobalt's numbers also put it in the same league as the cross-town rival $21,195 Dodge SRT4. The Dodge, armed with a 230-hp turbocharged four-cylinder, is quicker to 60 (5.3 seconds) and the quarter-mile (13.9 at 103) but, like the Z28, slower around the skidpad (0.86 g) and longer in 70-to-0 braking (169 feet). Since we were unable to drive the two econo-rockets back-to-back, we'll reserve our in-depth comparisons for an upcoming test. But we can tell you that projecting a winner through a stretch of curvy mountain road or on a racetrack would be next to impossible.

Creating a car with as much bang for the buck as an SRT4 is a formidable feat, but Chevy has arguably done it with the SS Supercharged. GM's Performance Division began with Delta architecture--the foundation for the lukewarm Saturn Ion--and bolted on a plethora of performance parts to get things boiling. Underhood is the LSJ 2.0-liter Ecotec four-cylinder that, augmented by an Eaton supercharger, produces 205 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque. To transfer the power, engineers opted for a Swedish-built FGP five-speed manual transmission--the same unit found in Saab's 9-5--and shortened the throws to four inches for a sportier feel. The combo works. The five-speed, although not as precise or effortless as, say, the six-speed in an Acura RSX Type-S, is still a fluid and easy-to-use gearbox that makes driving the Cobalt fun, especially since the 2.0-liter is such a refined, willing, and bulletproof engine. It's clear more muscle can be had from the LSJ, and the performance guys are putting together a kit to boost power to about 230.

With that many horses on tap, Chevy made sure the SS Supercharged could keep them corralled. Compared with a standard Cobalt coupe, the SS Supercharged features unique strut valving, stiffer springs, larger anti-roll bars, a quarter-inch-lower ride height, bigger brakes with high-performance linings, and 18-inch forged alloys wearing 215/45 Pirellis. Our tester also had the $1500 Performance package that adds Recaro front seats and a Quaife limited-slip differential. Around our local handling loop, the Cobalt displayed minimal body roll and understeer, as well as impressive front-end grip that felt enhanced by the LSD. There is noticeable steering-wheel tug to deal with when exiting a tight turn under hard throttle--two hands on the wheel are a must. Otherwise, there's little to harp about, dynamically. The steering features a medium-heavy feel for optimal feedback, the brakes are fade-free and easy to modulate, and the ride is tolerably stiff.

The Cobalt SS Supercharged might be a souped-up econobox, but it punches the scorecard with big-league numbers. Is it a home run? Close. Think of it more as a ground-rule double--out of the park but still another hit from scoring.